6. How is the Welsh Government supporting theatres to recover from the pandemic? OQ57267

I thank the Member for that, Llywydd. Theatres have been strongly supported in Wales during the pandemic, both from the £93 million cultural recovery fund and the freelancer fund—a recovery stream uniquely available in Wales. Theatr Hafren in the Member's own constituency has benefited from more than £300,000 of that recovery funding.

Can I thank the First Minister for his answer? I appreciate him mentioning Theatr Hafren in my own constituency as well. The current cultural recovery fund came to an end at the end of September, so I appreciate we’re talking about support that has been available up to the end of September. My question, I suppose, is in regard to the future in terms of supporting theatres, because there are some huge challenges for theatres and arts centres, of course. The challenge is to get audiences back into the buildings in sufficient capacity to make productions financially viable. There's also a challenge with additional staffing for events and in processing refunds that have to take place due to people cancelling, due to having to self-isolate, which, of course, is quite understandable. So, can I ask, First Minister, when the industry can expect some information on the next round of funding that’s needed to address the specific challenges that they’re currently facing as they come out of the pandemic?

I thank the Member for that important question, Llywydd. He's absolutely right that, by the end of September, the £30 million, which was the second phase of the cultural recovery fund, had all been allocated. I spoke to the senior Welsh Government officials who have worked on the cultural recovery fund yesterday. They have been working with the Arts Council of Wales to consider whether a further round of support for cultural venues is required. They told me that they expected to have advice to Ministers before the end of this week as a result of those discussions, and then it will be for Ministers, including of course the finance Minister, to see what can be done to offer any further support to the sector, focused on business survival, in the way that Russell George has suggested. You know, these are very tough times for the live arts, and if there are venues where survival is the name of the game and we are able to support them, then the advice Ministers will need to do so will be with them very shortly indeed.

I thank the First Minister for that response. I am going to have to temporarily suspend the session because there are technical issues that mean that what's happening in the Chamber isn't heard by those on Zoom, and therefore we will take a short technical break and we will return to question 7 from Alun Davies. So, a short break.

Plenary was suspended at 14:21.

The Senedd reconvened at 14:26, with the Llywydd in the Chair.

Question 7 is next. Alun Davies.